Lemon Tiramisu

A no-bake lemon tiramisu layered with homemade lemon curd, lemon-soaked sponge fingers, and whipped mascarpone cream. Serves up to 12 people with a prep time of 1 hour, with 10 minutes of cooking for the curd, then 3–4 hours chilling.

This lemon tiramisu is designed to give you the classic layered texture without using raw eggs, making it more approachable and consistent. You’ll assemble it in a small to medium dish, chill until firm, and serve straight from the fridge.

Notes from The Patisserie 

This version of lemon tiramisu is built slightly differently to a classic tiramisu on purpose. Instead of relying on raw eggs for structure, the filling uses whipped cream and mascarpone, which gives a stable, creamy texture that sets reliably in the fridge.

The balance of flavours is key here. Lemon runs through every layer, but in different forms. The curd brings intensity, the syrup adds brightness, and the mascarpone softens everything into a smooth, balanced finish.

Texture is just as important as flavour. The sponge fingers should be soft but still structured, the filling should hold its shape, and the curd should sit cleanly on top without running. When each element is controlled properly, the result is a clean, sliceable dessert rather than something overly loose.

Lemon Tiramisu vs Classic Tiramisu 

I have my classic tiramisu in my third book, “Everyday”, and I make it SO often. Traditional tiramisu relies on eggs for structure and richness. This lemon version swaps that method for whipped cream, making it lighter, simpler, and more accessible.

The flavour profile also shifts. Instead of coffee and cocoa, this version uses lemon throughout, creating a fresher, more summery dessert that still keeps the layered tiramisu format.

Since these recipes I have published my tiramisu cheesecake which was such a craze of popularity, and my favourite cheesecake that I have ever published. I made a tiramisu ice cream on instagram recently, and in my latest book Classic I have a tiramisu cake and truffles – and I just want to do more. 

Ingredients and tips… 

When it comes to this lemon tiramisu, there are multiple ingredients and elements that are made from scratch. I always find this is easier when each element is broken down clearly.

Lemon Curd 

I decided to make a slightly sampled version of my homemade lemon curd – in just using up the ingredients I had and not wanting to waste anything. My classic recipe is rich and delicious, and this one is ever so slightly lighter in flavour as it has to compete with the rest of the ingredients in the tiramisu. 

• Lemons – You want to use the zest and juice of about 4-5 lemons. I want to have quite a zesty and zingy flavour to my lemon curd, so I like to use both. It does create a texture to my curd, but I don’t mind that. 
• Unsalted butter – it’s important to use block unsalted butter and not a spread or margarine as you don’t want the additional ingredients found in them
• Sugar – I use caster sugar as I want a basic white sugar 
• Eggs – this time, I use the entire eggs so the quantity is slightly different to the normal base recipe  

You add the lemon zest and juice, butter and sugar to a bowl over a pan of simmering water (I find this best to prevent curdling/catching) and melt the sugar down. Then, you add in the eggs, and stir and mix whilst the mixture heats (It needs to get to a minimum of 77ºc to make sure it sets) and then you leave it to cool.

Of course, if you don’t want to make your own lemon curd, that is totally okay – you just need to buy probably two medium jars (usually 325g each) of shop bought lemon curd to have enough to make the recipe. 

Sponge fingers

Of course, sponge fingers are vital in this recipe as it’s one of the core components of tiramisu. I just buy the shop bought ones, and usually buy 1-2 packets (usually 200g per pack). Sometimes, the quantity you need heavily depends on the size and even shape of the dish you are using, as you want to make sure to pack them in as much as possible. 

I make a simple lemon syrup for this recipe, but you can swap it up if you need to – it’s in place of the coffee syrup that you would find in a classic tiramisu recipe: 

• Limoncello – one of my favourite liqueurs that exists, it brings a tart wonderful flavour to the syrup
• Sugar – again, I use caster sugar 
• Lemons – this recipe does use a lot of lemons, but that’s okay… I use the juice and zest in the soak of the sponge fingers as well  
• Water – you need an amount of liquid, so like a standard sugar syrup, the water makes up some weight difference to get enough syrup 

Lemon Tiramisu Filling

The filling seems so simple in comparison to the rest of the recipe, but that’s not a bad thing – as mentioned above, this recipe is purposely simple so that it doesn’t contain raw eggs. Technically you could say it’s egg free, but the lemon curd does contain egg so that wouldn’t be true (but if you shop bought some lemon curd… maybe?) 

• Mascarpone – It’s important to use a mascarpone cheese, and not another cheese, if you want to have the classic lighter flavour. Mascarpone is still a soft cheese, but it has a naturally lighter and sweeter flavour to it. 
• Cream – I use double cream or whipping cream in the uk, but you want to avoid single cream as the fat content is not high enough. 
• Lemon curd – Using some of the above lemon curd to give the cream section a hint of the lemon flavour 

When making the filling, it’s important to whip the mixture to softer peaks, and not over whip. If you over whip the cream it’ll become textured, and hard to spread. Top tip though, if you ever so over whip cream, simply stir through some liquid cream and it should help bring it back. 

Swaps and changes

If you want to use eggs in the recipe instead, you can try this instead: Add three egg yolks and 100g caster sugar sugar to a bowl and whisk for 5-10 minutes until very thick and pale. Add 250g mascarpone and some lemon zest (I use two lemons). In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and then add half of the mascarpone egg yolk mixture and fold together. Then, fold in the second half. 

This part replaces the whipping together of the double cream and mascarpone that are in the method on the recipe card – both work, one is more classic than the other in my opinion. However, I adore this simpler method and egg free method purely because it’s so easy to achieve. 

If you don’t want to use alcohol, you can simply increase the amount of lemon juice that you are using so you still get a lovely lemon flavour, but you don’t have the alcohol, so it’s a dessert suitable for everyone then. 

How to assemble lemon tiramisu  

Sometimes I think when you see a tiramisu and you haven’t made one before, they can look a little daunting. They are much easier to make than you think, luckily. 

I start by creating a layer of sponge fingers, that I dip into the lemon syrup, and layer onto the base of the dish I am using. Then, you add on half of the whipped mascarpone mixture and spread, and repeat these two layers again. I then finish with a lovely thick layer of my lemon curd. 

It’s then a bit of a patience required moment to let the layers set in the fridge, and to firm up (like a cheesecake), but then you can devour this wonderful lemon tiramisu 

FAQ

Storage, tips & tricks 

This recipe is best on the day of making, but will last for 2-3+ days in the fridge, DO NOT FREEZE as it can make the cream and mascarpone split.

I keep my tiramisu in the dish in the fridge removing each slice when going to serve.

Related recipes

If you love this lemon tiramisu, you’ll enjoy other lemon desserts that follow a similar fresh, citrus-led flavour profile. A lemon trifle offers a softer layered alternative, while a lemon drizzle loaf cake is perfect for a simpler bake. For something lighter, a lemon curd mousse gives a similar flavour in a more delicate format.